The four worlds of the kabbalah
The Kabbalah:
In the Kabbalah we read: Yetzirah (also known as Olam Yetsirah, עוֹלָם יְצִירָה in Hebrew) is the third of four worlds in the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, following Atziluth and Beri’ah and preceding Assiah. It is known as the “World of Formation”.
Yetzirah is the foundation to our physical realm. It is what I call the lower Astral — or hell, higher astral and what we call heaven the third astral. These are the realms of Archetypes. They all make manifests the world of Archetype needed for us to live in our physical realm. All of these activities are conducted in the skies and beyond way overhead from the inhabitance living there. These Archetype life forms are not seen by the dwellers there, but alive as the energy inherited by the three Astrals. The fact is, if strawberries were killed there, no strawberries could possible grow on earth or elsewhere on the physical.
“Yetzirah” as in “formation” is as opposed to “Beriah” as in “creation”: actually taking whatever matter that was created in “Beriah” and shaping it into the basic elements.
The moment of formation, when the fetus’ form becomes apparent, is called “the formation of the child” and corresponds to the world of Yetzirah.The external state of consciousness in the World of Formation is called ״half good and half evil.״ The “half evil” refers to the self-consciousness of the beings of this world. The “half good” refers to the emotional sensitivity of one to the other as expressed in the genuine desire to make the other happy. This external dimension of Yetzirah is the seat of heated emotion, of “hotheadedness.”
A more internal dimension of Yetzirah — based on the awareness that the true battleground between good and evil is within us — is the emotional imperative to pit the good inclination against the evil inclination. But in order for our good inclination to be victorious over our evil inclination, it must first be empowered by an input of Divine light and energy. God gives us this input in the merit of our first devoting ourselves to do good for our fellows.
The consciousness of the world of Yetzirah is that of communing with God, speaking to Him directly in prayer or indirectly through the study of His Torah and taking counsel with a true Torah sage. The perspective of the world of Yetzirah as a state of consciousness is based on general notions. At this level, particular definitions are not apparent. The sense of selfhood that is apparent at this level of consciousness can only be grasped in impersonal language.
Developing junior angels dwell in the worlds of Yetzirah, unlike archangels which reside in the self-mastering realms of Briah.
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Whereas in the Zohar and elsewhere there are only four worlds or universes (planes of existence) the Lurianic system adds a fifth universe, Adam Kadmon, a s ort of manifest Godhead, that mediates between the En Sof and the four lower worlds.
In Lurianic cosmology therefore we have the following strata of reality:
· En Sof — Tetragrammaton or Divine name — Absolute or Infinite — Beyond all archetypes — live far outside of all creations and is non physical. Dimensions ten and higher.
· Atzilut — Sefirot or Divine Archetypes of emanation of the divine dominated by the sphiroth of Chokma and Partzufim or Divine Personas — higher dimensional life. This supernal revelation therefore precludes the souls and Divine emanations in Atziluth from sensing or perceiving their own existence as consciousness as being false. In Atziluth, the 10 sefirot emerge in revelation, with Chochma (Wisdom) dominating, all is nullification of essence (Bittul HaEtzem) to Divinity, not considered created and separate.
· Beriah — creation and understandings or the Archangels and Divine Souls (neshamot) — live beyond our dimension. On this level is the first concept of creatio ex nihilo (Yesh miAyin), however without yet shape or form, as the creations of Beriah sense their own existence, though in nullification of being (Bittul HaMetziut) to Divinity. We gain the understanding that our source and never be known and to just return back to sanity with Him.
· Assiah — The realm of actions. The four physical realms in our third dimension. Angels are in service to us here from their heavenly states for our benefit. Angelic actions in a way of service to all lower realms are enacted be it astral or physical realms. The final sefirot of Assiah are the point by which the physical universe derives — Malkuth.
· Yetzirah –The foundation to the physical. Inferior Angels and Qlippot- evil being are present here;in the third Astras associate with each physical realms. The seraphim also serve here who are of divine emotions communicating with source.
· Adam Kadmon — The divine man with all physical worlds in our universe. This is where the speech or word of God is located. The logi united all sefirot at as one here with mankind. Mankind is blessed with this ability. Adam Kadmon is the realm of “Keter Elyon” (Supernal Crown of Will), “the lucid and luminous light” (Tzachtzachot), “the pure lucid sefirot which are concealed and hidden” in potential. In regards to the future emergence of Creation, it represents Divine light with no vessels, the manifestation of the specific Divine plan for Existence, within Creation
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